Light Rail Safety and Human Factors

This assignment delves into the crucial aspects of safety within light rail systems, emphasizing the role of human factors. It examines research papers and reports covering topics like pedestrian and motorist safety, ergonomic design considerations for drivers and operators, and the integration of human factors in the overall design and operation of light rail projects. The focus is on understanding how human behavior and system design interact to ensure a safe and efficient light rail transportation experience.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 1
DESIGNING A LIGHT RAIL NETWORK FOR A CITY
Name
Course
Professor
University
City/state
Date

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 2
Executive Summary
Transportation demand in many cities across the world is rapidly increasing as urban population
and development continues to expand. Light rail is one of the most efficient transit modes that
many governments are using to meet the increasing transportation demand in cities. This mode
of public transport has numerous economic, environmental and social benefits. The main aim of
this report is to analyze preliminary design, detailed design, and test, evaluation, validation and
optimization processes of a light rail network project. These phases and processes are very
critical in successful implementation of a light rail network project. Relevant stakeholders can
use this information to ensure that their projects are completed efficiently and cost-effectively,
and that all project requirements are met.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 3
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4
2. Preliminary Design Phase.................................................................................................................5
3. Detailed Design and Development Phases........................................................................................6
3.1. Detailed design phase..................................................................................................................6
3.2. Development phase......................................................................................................................8
4. System Test, Evaluation and Validation Processes.........................................................................8
4.1. Test and evaluation......................................................................................................................8
4.2. Optimization................................................................................................................................9
5. Human Factors................................................................................................................................10
5.1. Safety.........................................................................................................................................10
5.2. Reliability..................................................................................................................................10
5.3. Comfort.....................................................................................................................................10
5.4. Affordability..............................................................................................................................11
5.5. Health........................................................................................................................................11
6. Conclusion and Recommendations.................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................................12

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 4
1. Introduction
Light rail networks have become very common in many cities across the world that have
high transport demand and increased congestion. This transit mode represents a sound alternative
for governments that are in search of increasing mobility in cities. It is a high-capacity, efficient
and sustainable mode of transport that is able to co-exist effectively with other public transport
modes. Light rail is also very attractive to commuters, city residents, tourists and investors,
making it a worthy investment for any government. There are many completed and ongoing light
rail network projects in cities across North America, Europe, Australia, Asia Pacific, Middle
East, Africa and Latin America. These projects are mainly driven by the potential benefits of
light rail networks. Some of these benefits include: less emissions and pollution (Shang &
Zhang, 2013); less noise; higher passenger capacity; greater comfort; increased safety; greater
reliability; adaptability; environmental friendly; lower operating costs per commuter; higher
aesthetic value; increases mobility in the city; increases property values (Seo, et al., 2014);
improves people’s health (MacDonald, et al., 2010); higher adaptability and flexibility (Light
Rail Committee, 2016); and revenue generation through transit oriented development (Higigns,
et al., 2014). In general, light rail has numerous economic, environmental and social benefits
(Tourism & Transport Forum Australia, 2010). Today, millions of people in different cities
across all continents are moved by light rail networks every day.
Nevertheless, these benefits can only be realized if the light rail network is designed and
constructed appropriately by considering client and user needs and following the relevant
engineering standards. The routes and all components of the light rail network should be
designed by considering the goals of the network (Cohen-Blankshtain, 2011), present and
planned development and other land uses in the city (Ewing & Cervero, 2010). This makes

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 5
design and construction processes very essential in successful implementation of a light rail
network in a city. The aim of this report is to analyze various aspects of a light rail network for a
city. The aspects discussed are: preliminary design phase; detailed design phase; development
phase; system test, evaluation and validation processes; optimizations and human factors that
should be considered when implementing this kind of project. Information contained in this
report is very useful for stakeholders involved in design and construction of a light rail network
as it can help them to understand the steps to follow and critical factors to consider when
implementing this kind of project.
2. Preliminary Design Phase
This phase comes after the project team has decided on the specific design concept to
implement from the conceptual design phase. The main purpose of preliminary design phase is to
demonstrate that the chosen design concept will meet the required design, technical and
performance specifications, can be implemented using the available resources and methods, and
that various constraints can be overcome. During this phase, various components of light rail
systems are analyzed, including their properties, how they function and what is needed to
enhance their design, construction and operation. Examples of elements that are determined and
analyzed at this phase include: light rail routes, vertical and horizontal alignments of the light
rail, size or capacity of the light rail, number of lanes of the light rail, source of power for the
light rail, communication systems, relay houses, overhead catenary system, stops and boarding
stations, etc. A variety of specifications for the light rail are also determined. These include:
system specifications (they entail technical, performance, functional and maintenance
characteristics), development specifications (includes the required research works for new
developments and/or technical items), production specifications (entails technical requirements

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 6
before the start of production of components), process specification (entails processes followed
to produce the required components of the light rail) and material specifications (technical
requirements on properties of materials or resources to be used).
At the end of this phase, the project team should ensure that the light rail network is designed
for functional capability, usability, interoperability, reliability, safety, maintainability,
sustainability, security, supportability & serviceability, affordability and producibility &
disposability. The team has to produce initial preliminary layout or drafts of the light rail
showing its routes, size and location of various major components. The system design developed
at this stage is also reviewed and relevant feedback provided for improvement purposes in
subsequent phases.
3. Detailed Design and Development Phases
3.1. Detailed design phase
This is the phase where the actual design of all components and systems of the light rail are
undertaken. It is the final design stage of the project where all necessary design details of the
light rail are determined and documented. The system begins with establishing the necessary
design requirements for the light rail components. Some of the main components that are
designed in this phase are: traction power substations (these are systems that supply power to the
light rail), relay houses (these are house structures or facilities that contain equipment for
controlling crossing gates and signals for facilitating safe and efficient movement of the light
trains), communication houses (these are house structures or facilities that contain data
acquisition, supervisory control and communication equipment used for protecting and
informing light rail customers, and also used by security personnel, supervisors and dispatchers
for monitoring and controlling the light rail), overhead catenary system (these are usually 2

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 7
overhead wires: top messenger wire for providing physical support and bottom contact wire for
supplying electrical power), and system software – this is the system that is used for automated
monitoring, control and management of the light rail. The size/capacity, location and other
dimensions of these components are determined at this phase. The components are also
integrated to ensure that they operate as a single system.
Various necessary field investigations are also carried out in this phase to ensure that designs
are created based on accurate data from the field. The designs are done using appropriate design
software and tools (Blanchard & Fabrycky, 2010). To ensure that the detailed designs created
meets the required technical and performance specifications, mockups and prototypes of each
component and/or system of the light rail are also created. This helps the project team to
visualize the final system that will be developed and identify some of the challenges that may be
experienced along the development process. Based on the findings from the mockups and
prototypes, appropriate changes can be made to the designs.
Design of all the systems is done by considering existing and planned land use, mobility
improvements, economic development impacts, congestion relief, cost-effectiveness and
environmental benefits. Once the final designs have been prepared, appropriate construction
methods are also established. These methods should facilitate construction of the light rail in
accordance with the design specifications and within the stipulated budget. Another crucial task
performed in this phase is cost estimation. The project team prepares cost estimates of each of
the components designed followed by the final bill of quantities. Last but not least, potential
construction constraints are also evaluated and suitable strategies of overcoming them
established. At the end of detailed design phase, the project team should have all the necessary

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 8
documents (Goral, 2007) that the contractor should use to develop the light rail. This includes
project schedule and budget.
3.2. Development phase
This is the phase where the physical light rail is constructed. In other words, this phase
entails converting drawings developed in previous phases into an actual and physical product.
The phase comes after the tender has been awarded to the most qualified contractor. Some of the
activities undertaken by the contractor include: excavations, installation of the light rails and
construction of other light rail systems such as relay and communication houses, stops and
boarding stations. The contractor should ensure that every component constructed meets the
technical and performance specifications as detailed in the contract documents. This being a
project that is undertaken in a city, appropriate measures should be put in place so that
construction activities do not affect other transport modes and activities.
4. System Test, Evaluation and Validation Processes
4.1. Test and evaluation
The goals and objectives of the light rail network can only be achieved if the system is tested,
evaluated and validated to have conformed to the technical, performance, functional and project
requirements. These are very important processes that must be completed before the light rail is
opened for use. Tests are usually carried out in factories where various components are
manufactured, on site during delivery and installation, and after installation to determine their
performance capability and efficiency (Sharma, (n.d.)). The necessary tests to be performed must
be identified during design phases, including their scope, equipment and tools, personnel, etc.
Some of the tests that are carried out on a light rail include: structural tests, safety tests
(Cleghorn, 2009), performance tests, noise and vibration tests (Maeda, et al., 2011), software

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 9
system tests, interoperability tests, compatibility tests, environmental and/or emissions tests,
maintenance tests, reliability tests, serviceability tests, supportability tests, personnel tests, etc.
Findings from each of these tests are evaluated and compared with the project specifications. A
component or system is only validated if it meets the required specifications or standards.
Validation is done so as to confirm if the system is developed in accordance with its
specifications and functions (Luna, et al., 2013). Testing and evaluation starts by testing
individual components then different system elements followed by main subsystems and lastly
testing the whole light rail system as one integrated system. Progressive testing, evaluation and
validation of the system is very useful in preventing costly and time-consuming changes at final
stages of the project.
4.2. Optimization
If any component or system fails to meet the required specifications or standards then it must
be changed or improved before the light rail can be commissioned and opened for use. In the
context of this report, optimization means improving components or systems that fail to meet the
project requirements until they meet these requirements. Besides that, optimization aims at
improving any other aspect of the light rail. For instance, if the light rail can be powered by
renewable energy then it can optimized or modified so as to capitalize the benefits of renewable
energy, and if it can be constructed using locally available materials and labour then the better. In
general, optimization aims at determining the best solution for each design element of the light
rail. This is usually achieved through simulations and calculations so as to obtain the best
solution for each design problem. It is also worth noting that optimization does not stop during
design and construction processes but can also be done during operation phase of the light rail
network.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 10
5. Human Factors
Human factors focuses on improving the impacts that the light rail will have on the people or
the interaction between the light rail network and the users (Wilson, et al., 2012). Since most of
the light rail operations are monitored and controlled remotely, its automation systems should be
properly designed by considering all relevant human factors. Some of the main human factors
are discussed below
5.1. Safety
The light rail should be designed with adequate safety features to ensure that the staffs
(drivers and train crew), passengers and the public are safe at all times. This can be achieved by
ensuring proper vertical and horizontal alignments of the light rail routes, use of suitable
materials, trained staffs, efficient driver environments (Dobson, 2015) and proper maintenance.
5.2. Reliability
The light rail should have efficient control and signaling systems to inform passengers and
staffs on the exact arrival and departure times.
5.3. Comfort
The light rail should have attractive stations where passengers can sit comfortably when
waiting for the train, boarding stations should have high platforms to enable easy boarding and
alighting and passenger seats should of appropriate size and shape. It should also have enough
and comfortable workplace for drivers and staffs to perform their tasks efficiently (Naweed &
Moody, 2015). Additionally, all persons in the train must be protected from excessive noise and
vibrations.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 11
5.4. Affordability
The fare charged for the light rail transportation should also be reasonable so that passengers
do not have to pay a higher price for the transportation services (Dadashi, et al., 2013). Therefore
the government should focus on transit oriented development so as to generate more revenue
other that the one collected from operational activities of the light rail.
5.5. Health
The light rail should also not produce emissions that affect the health of people. The
emissions produced by the light rail should be minimal and lower than those generated by other
transit modes.
6. Conclusion and Recommendations
Light rail is an efficient, reliable and state-of-the-art transit mode that has numerous
economic, environmental and social benefits over other transit modes. Many cities across the
world are adopting light rail networks so as to overcome challenges such as traffic congestion,
increasing urban transportation demand and carbon emissions. However, successful
implementation of a light rail network project can only be attained if all appropriate processes
are followed to the later. Preliminary design phase, detailed design and development phases, and
test, evaluation, validation and optimization processes are very essential stages when developing
a light rail network. Each of these phases must be performed with utmost thoughtfulness and
effectiveness for the light rail network to achieve its goals and objectives. Since the light rail
network is also largely controlled by automated systems, it is very important to consider human
factors such as safety, comfort, reliability, affordability and health. Most importantly is that all
stakeholders should be involved from very early stages of the project and work as a team from
start to finish.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 12
References
Blanchard, B. & Fabrycky, W., 2010. Systems engineering and analysis. 5th ed. New Jersey,
U.S.: Prentice Hall.
Cleghorn, D., 2009. Improving pedestrian and motorist safety along light rail alignments,
Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board.
Cohen-Blankshtain, G. F. E., 2011. Light rail routing: Do goals matter?. Transportation, Volume
38, pp. 343-361.
Dadashi, N., Scott, A., Wilson, J. & Mills, A., 2013. Rail human factors: supporting reliability,
safety and construction. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.
Dobson, K., 2015. Human factors and ergonomics in transportation control systems. Procedia
Manufacturing, Volume 3, pp. 2913-2920.
Ewing, R. & Cervero, R., 2010. Travel and the built environment: A meta-analysis. Journal of
the American Planning Association, 3(265-294), p. 76.
Goral, J., 2007. Risk management in the conceptual design phase of building projects. Goteborg,
Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology.
Higigns, C., Ferguson, M. & Kanaroglou, P., 2014. Light rail and land use change: rail transit'
role in reshaping and revitalizing cities. Journal of Public Transportation, 17(2), pp. 93-112.
Light Rail Committee, 2016. Knowledge Brief - Light rail: a tool to serve customers and cities ,
Brussels: International Association of Public Transport.

Designing a Light Rail Network for a City 13
Luna, S. et al., 2013. Integration, verification, validation, test and evaluation (IVVT&E)
framework for system of systems (SoS). Pocedia Computer Science, Volume 20, pp. 295-305.
MacDonald, J. et al., 2010. The effect of light rail transit on body mass index and physical
activity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39(2), pp. 105-112.
Maeda, T. et al., 2011. Noise and vibration mitigation for rail transportation systems:
Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Railway Noise, Nagahama, Japan, 18-22
October, 2010 , Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.
Naweed, A. & Moody, H., 2015. A streetcar undesired: investigating ergonomics and human
factors issues in the driver-cab interface of Australian trams. Urban Railway Transit, 1(3), pp.
149-158.
Seo, K., Golub, A. & Kuby, M., 2014. Combined impacts of highways and light rail transit on
residential property values: a spatial hedonic price model for Phoenix, arizona. Journal of
Transport Geography, Volume 41, pp. 53-62.
Shang, B. & Zhang, X., 2013. Study of emission reduction: benefits of urban rail transit.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 96, pp. 557-564.
Sharma, R., (n.d.). Testing and commissioning process for a light rail project, United Kingdom:
Ove Arup & Partners Ltd.
Tourism & Transport Forum Australia, 2010. TTF Transport Position Paper: The Benefits of
Light Rail, Sydney: Tourism & Transport Foum Australia.
Wilson, J. et al., 2012. Rail human factors around the world: impacts on and of people for
successful rail operations. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.

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